This invention relates to an item of underwear worn in combination with a sanitary pad of the kind which extends between the legs of a wearer over at least a pail of the crotch.
Such sanitary pads are, for example, used by women during menstruation.
Conventionally such sanitary pads are maintained in position by virtue of being adhered to the wearer""s underwear by an adhesive which is applied to the sanitary pad and exposed by the removal of a protective sheet. However because such adhesive cannot be so strong that the sanitary pad when soiled cannot be readily removed, such means for retaining the sanitary pad in use are not reliable.
To assist in retaining the sanitary pad in position, it is known to provide sides which conventionally are folded under the crotch part of the item of underwear and attached by an adhesive to the underside of the crotch part, but the wings can make the sanitary pad uncomfortable to wear.
According to a first aspect of the invention we provide in combination an item of underwear including a front part, a back part, a waist part and a crotch part which in use extends front to back between the legs of a wearer, and a sanitary pad of the kind having side wings which carry an adhesive, characterized in that the item of underwear includes an inside lining part which extends over at least a substantial portion of the crotch part had has sides which are unattached to the crotch part over at least part of the front to back extent of the crotch part, and the side wings of the sanitary pad are foldable into a position between the crotch part of the item and the inside lining part with the adhesive adhered to the inside lining part.
Thus the side wings are contained between the crotch part and the lining part, making a more comfortable arrangement. Additionally, the side wings, being located between the inside lining pail and the crotch pail, do not present unsightly lines visible through outer clothing.
Preferably the inside lining part extends over the entire crotch part from front to back and perhaps too, at least some of at least one of the front and backparts of the item.
For example, an item of underwear conventionally comprises a gusset provided by overlapping front and back pails, wvhich gusset forms the crotch part of the garment. Thus the inside lining pail may extend from front to back over a greater extent than such conventional gusset pail so that a sanitaly pad may be attached to the inside lining part over a substantial portion of its front to back length.
The inside lining part may comprise ends as well as sides. The sides may be shaped to conform generally to sides of the crotch part and preferably each extend outwardly beyond the sides of the crotch part but may be arranged not to extend outwardly beyond the sides of the crotch part if desired. The inside lining part may be attached to tlhe remainder of the item along the ends preferably by stitching. Additionally, tlhe inside lining pail may be attached to the remainder of the item, along pails only of the sides adjacent one or both of the ends so that the lining part is unattached to the crotch pail over at least a mid portion of the crotch part. Such additional attachment may provide for greater support for a sanitary pad attached to the inside lining pail.
Instead of or in addition to relying on adhesive to secure the sanitary pad to the item of underwear, if desired the inside lining part may be made of a looped material or a material presenting a plurality of hooks, with which loops or hooks, hooks or loops provided on the sanitary pad, in use, engage. mass of fibres with which a plurality of hooks provided on the sanitary pad, in use, engage.
Conveniently the plurality of hooks or loops are provided by a carrier material adhered to the sanitary pad, intermediate the side wings thereof.
For environmental reasons, preferably the carrier material or other means which present the plurality of hooks or loops is bio-degradable, so that a soiled sanitary pad may be disposed of by flushing.
For comfort, preferably the carrier material is flexible although it will be appreciated that a wearer would be isolated from the carrier material through the sanitary pad.
According to the second aspect of the invention we provide an item of underwear for use in the combination of the first aspect of the invention.